Foot-guard for railway-frogs



(No Model.)

M. RILEY; FOOT GUARD FOR RAILWAY Pacers.

No. 530,658. Patented Dec. 11, 189-4.

INVENTOR ATTGRNEYS UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

MICHAEL RILEY, OF LONDON, OHIO.

FOOT-GUARDFOR R AlLWAY-FROGS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 530,658, dated December 11, 189.4.

Application filed August 11 1893- filling plates for the angles of railway frogs and the objects of myinvention are to provide simple, reliable and efiective filling plates for the angular space between theconverging frog rails; to so construct said device as to prevent its interference with the usual nuts and bolts of the fish plates and to otherwise produce a durable and neat filling plate for frogs which will operate to prevent the catching of the feet in the frog angles and to produce other improvements which will be more specifically pointed out hereinafter. These objects I accomplish in the manner illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a plan view of a railway frog having my filling plates therein. Fig. 2 is an enlarged transverse section on line w w of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a view in perspective of one of said filling plates showing the same inverted and Fig. 4 is a transverse section of the con-' verging frog rails showing a modificationin the manner of securing the filling plate in position.

Similarletters refertosimilar partsthroughout the several views.

. a and I) represent the converging main and side track or switch rails which form'the usual frog point 0, and a b represent the broken continuations of said rails which also converge toward said frog point in the usual manner. The convergence of the above rails results in the formation between the same of the angular spaces indicated in the drawings, which said spaces are adapted to be filled as hereinafter described by my improved filling plates.

at represents one of my improved filling plates the body of which is substantially in the form of an isosceles triangle. The plate body thus formed has its longer sides flanged downward slightly, said side flanges being indicated at d, while the ends of said plate body are bent downward as indicated respectively ate and e to a greater depth than said Serial 110,482,903. on model.)

of the apex of said angular spaces although it is evident that the entire space might be filled up to the point or apex thereof by so forming said plates.

As indicated in the drawings the plates ,d are normally supported below the upper surface of the rail heads and said side flanges b of the plates are inclined inward slightly to conform to the incline or bevel of the rail tread sides.

The manner of securing my improved filling plate in the above described position consists as indicated in driving spikes f down through the bodies of said plates and into the ties 9 upon which the track rails are mounted in the usual manner. Before driving said spikes, however, I preferably surround each of the same with a coil spring h, the latter hearing as shown between the under side of the plate 01 about the spike opening-therein, and the top of the tie g. It will be observed that these springs h serve to normally oper-- ate the filling plate at such height as to prevent its coming into contact with the inwardly projecting nuts and bolt ends i and 1?, which are usually employed in connecting the fishplates i on opposite sides of the rails. It is obvious that the angular space between the rails a and b may be filled in the manner prescribed for the space between the rails a and b, and that the filling plates thus employed will serve to prevent any possibility of catching a foot in the frog angle. It will also be seen that the plates are supported in such position as not to present a bearing for the car wheel flanges and that in case the plates are subjected to any weight, the springs will serve to cushion said plates against a sudden downward movement.

From the construction and operation of my improved frog angle filling plates, it will be I seen that the same may be produced of thin sheet steel or other suitable material at a reasonable cost of manufacture and in adurable and reliable form. In case there are no convenient ties into which the attaching spikes may be driven, I may provide transverse connecting arms or bars k, the latter passing beneath the bases of the rails and having hooked shaped ends which engage with the outer sides of the rail flanges. This connecting bar 75 may 5 be provided with a central screw threaded opening through which is adapted to pass the threaded end portion of a bolt is, the latter passing loosely through the filling plate and a being surrounded by the coil spring h and 10 thus being made to serve the purpose of the spikes indicated in Fig. 2 of the drawings.

Having now fully described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

MICHAEL RILEY.

In presence of- O. C. SHEPHERD, A. L. PHELPS. 

